Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Even though studies exist
showing there is no speed advantage with either, players continue using the
more dangerous option on a nightly basis.Josh Hamilton and Bryce Harper are more willing to
slide head-first, and that decision will cost them significant playing time
this season.

After a not-so-smooth first season of a five-year,
$125 million deal he signed with the Los Angeles Angles, Hamilton was off to a
hot start in 2014. He posted a .444/.545/.741 line with two home runs and six
RBI through 27 at-bats.

Instead of running through first base in the seventh
inning of an April 8 game against the Seattle Mariners, he decided to dive
head-first in an effort to reach safely.

He didn’t, and ended up tearing
a ligament in his thumb, needing surgery and a recovery time of
approximately two months.

Harper wasn’t off to a start like Hamilton, but was
an asset to the Washington Nationals’ lineup, hitting .289/.352/.422 through 83
at-bats. He decided to slide head-first into second base on April 25 against
the San Diego Padres.

He didn’t think his injury was a big issue, but
further investigating showed a torn
UCL in his hand, also requiring surgery and two months on the sidelines.

Finding out whether or not there is an advantage to
sliding head-first against sliding feet-first is a debate that will probably go
on until the end of time. It’s been proven there is no advantage, but in the
heat of the moment, ballplayers feel
like it will help.

And if they feel
a better chance toward getting a base hit or gaining an extra base, they’ll
take that risk.

However, it’s tough for me to see how sliding
head-first is faster in the overall scheme of things.

We see this scenario at least a couple times a week:
a player steals second base and the catcher’s throw goes into the outfield. The
baserunner (more often than not, sliding head-first), immediately gets up,
trying to advance to third. They usually get there, but sometimes they take too
long getting to their feet, and have to stay put.

Speaking from experience, it took me a long time to
get off the ground and start moving again after sliding head-first, compared to
the times I went feet-first. Eventually, I decided to abandon the head-first
option altogether because I could pop up quickly and hardly miss a beat with
the second option.

The bigger issue is how dangerous it is. There are
times when sliding head-first is unavoidable, such as diving back toward a base
on an attempted pickoff play. However, in all other instances, players should be
avoiding it.

The injuries to Hamilton and Harper should be the best
examples why to not use it.

Getting hurt is a part of being a professional athlete.
Some can avoid major injuries and long stints on the DL, but not everyone is so
lucky.

Sliding head-first can cause injuries to some of a
player’s most important assets, such as their hands. Even once Hamilton and
Harper are deemed healthy enough to play, it will undoubtedly take some time
before they recover the strength in their hands and wrists lost from not being
using them while on the DL.

Hitters, especially those with power, need strong
hands and wrists to generate the bat speed necessary to be successful. All the
work they’ve done over the winter to strengthen that part of their body has
been erased, and solely because they’d rather slide head-first and risk greater
injury, instead of going feet-first.

Injuring a foot or leg is also not preferred, but
players are at least able to keep their hands and wrists strong throughout the
recovery process. Will Carroll of Bleacher
Report spoke to Dr. Steven Shin about Harper’s injury and the importance of
paying attention to the whole hand during rehab:

It is important
to also make sure one rehabs the wrist and fingers, as well as the rest of the
upper extremity, which might have becomedeconditionedduring
the immobilization period. If the thumb is on the bottom hand when swinging, I
am more cautious about starting swinging, usually around four weeks post-op. If
the thumb is on the top hand, I'm less concerned and will allow swinging
shortly after the cast is removed.

Will these injuries change how Hamilton and Harper play the game?

Probably not.

Hamilton will hopefully
avoid sliding into first base in the future, at the very least.

All the research in the
world can be shown, but it’s hard to change their style of play. Using
instincts and reacting on the field is what got them to the big leagues in the
first place. If they're told to ignore what comes naturally, they run the risk of getting injured anyway.It seems like a no-win situation for players and teams. For those who play the game like Hamilton and Harper, the risk of injury is worth the reward of production. The only hope is long trips to the DL can be avoided more often than not.Teams get away unscathed a lot, but aren't always so lucky.